The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday stripped China of the bronze medal that they won in the gymnastics women's team event at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games after one of its athletes Dong Fangxiao was found to be under age.

The decision was endorsed by the IOC executive board meeting in Dubai.

"As a consequence, the U.S. women's team will be awarded the bronze medal for the women's team event," said an IOC statement.

Dong was also stripped of her sixth-place result in the individual floor exercises and seventh place in the vault.

In February of this year the gymnastics governing body FIG conducted an inquiry which showed that Dong was only 14 years old during the Sydney Games whereas the FIG qualification rules for these Games required that an athlete be at least under 16 years old in the year of the Olympic Games.